41 per cent of men regularly include clothing designed for women into their wardrobes, a new study of 2,000 men has found.
Commissioned for online clothing store Glamourboutique.com, the poll also suggests that millennial men may be most likely to wear women’s clothing, as 63 per cent of 25-34 year olds and 47 per cent of 18-24 year olds regularly adorn fashion tailored for women.
The study also found that men are incorporating women’s fashion into their wardrobe for a variety of reasons; including because they find them more aesthetically appealing, as part of a drag performance, because it makes them feel empowered – or even a bit frisky!
The survey follows the conclusion of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK last week and a YouGov poll which also found that 58 per cent of all US men, 72 per cent of all UK men and 98 per cent of young UK men (aged 18-24) do not consider themselves exclusively masculine.
“With society becoming increasingly accepting of alternative gender expressions, our study shows that men are increasingly exploring clothing designed for women that can help them to express themselves in new ways,” comments David Borrows, Owner of Glamourboutique.com.
“Interestingly, there is no one reason for men wearing clothes designed for women, and the survey suggests that the majority of men who do so have not questioned their sexuality or gender.”
Where do men wear women’s clothing and accessories?
- In private / behind closed doors – 22%
- In the bedroom – 20%
- Only around people I trust – 17%
- Outdoors in public – 17%
Men are more likely to wear women’s clothes behind closed doors than they are with friends or in public – but only slightly.
It’s not just about gay or trans people
Far from stereotypes that only gay men wear women’s clothing, at least 27 per cent of men who said they wore women’s clothes did not say that they did so because they were gay or questioned their gender or sexuality.
Why are men wearing women’s clothing?
Interestingly, the most common reason for wearing women’s clothing was simply because they liked them (18%). Sexual arousal (17%) was the second most common reason why men wear women’s clothing, followed by men who wore them because it made them feel empowered (15%) and men who did so as part of a drag act (15%).
“It’s a wonderful feeling. At first, I would dress as a woman behind closed doors, but once I went out and met people in full drag they reacted to me really positively and the compliments and their reaction mean’t that I never turned back,” said New Jersey based drag queen, Vikki La Fontaine. “It’s a really fun and empowering way to express yourself. But one of the biggest misconceptions people have is that it’s all just about gay men and that’s simply not true. While many are gay, there are plenty of straight drag queens out there.”
To learn more about, visit GlamourBoutique.com
